274 
Memoranda of an Excursion 
botanizing in the forests of New Zealand. I also ob¬ 
tained some fine specimens of Tmesipteris , which (if not 
possessing distinctness of character sufficient to consti¬ 
tute a new species) differs much from my specimens of 
T. Forsteri, EndL (the described New Zealand species) 
in size and general appearance; some plants being be¬ 
tween two and three feet in length. Whilst my natives 
were pitching my tent, I, wandering about, obtained a 
few specimens of small Jungermannice , and a Moss with 
a peculiar yellow lichen parasitical upon it. As the 
shades of night closed about us, in the deep recesses of 
the forest, we were visited with numbers of a large 
green coleopterous insect, which my natives caught, 
roasted, and ate. During the night the mosquitoes so 
sadly annoyed us as to keep us all from sleeping. 
At an early hour the next morning we re-commenced 
our march. Continuing our course, as yesterday, in 
the forest, I discovered a fine moss, a species of Poly¬ 
trichum; and an Urtica, with lanceolate leaves. From 
the summit of the hill, where this long forest terminates, 
a fine and extensive prospect of Tauranga harbour, 
distant about fifteen miles, presents itself to the view. 
The path hence to the sea-side lies through fern land, 
and is chiefly a descent the whole way. Lowards even¬ 
ing we arrived at the mission station, without observing 
anything worthy of notice by the way. 
I remained a few days at Tauranga, and during my 
stay, obtained a fine species of Hippocampus , measuring 
nearly a foot in length. This animal the natives some¬ 
times dry and use for an ear-ornament, suspending it 
by its tail, which they curl that it may the better re¬ 
main in their ears. I once procured from this place a 
beautiful and unique specimen of the genus Arden; it 
